2018

In August, I finished (at last!) the restoration of my
Emerson Model 609 projection TV, the most complex black and white television I have
ever worked on.

In April, I added an article titled, How Can I Fix My Old TV?
As the name suggests, it answers many questions asked by website visitors over the years,
who just got a vintage TV and want to get it working again.

In March, I added a page for my Windsor two-transistor
"boy's radio," a gift from my father.

My first article of the new year describes the rare Stewart
Warner Model R-192 radio. Produced only in Canada, it was named the "Good Companion"
and has a distinctive round metal cabinet standing on chrome legs.

2017

During the summer, I began the restoration of another complex TV, a 1949
Emerson Model 609 projection set.
In addition to conventional TV circuitry, it uses a Norelco Protelgram optical
system to produce a big (for the time) screen image.

This year, I acquired a McIntosh MA6100
integrated amplifier. This high-fidelity amp is newer than most items in my collection and
it only required minor maintenance.

A long, involved project bore fruit when I finished restoring the electronics in my 1947
DuMont RA-102 television. This rarely-seen
early set combines a 12-inch TV with FM and AM radio receivers in an upright cabinet
known as the "Clifton." Enjoy!

2016

In June, I added an article about a seldom-seen 1940 radio: a spherical
Sonora Navigator whose cabinet takes
the form of a detailed world globe.

In May, I finished restoring an RCA 14-S-7070G TV. It's the
same model as the red-and-gold one that I bought nearly 20 years ago and sold a few years
later. I had never forgotten that distinctive little set, so when a cheap one appeared locally, I
snapped it up.

I also updated my article about the mysterious Rainier Beer solar radio visor
with new info about its origin. Another new May article talks about Variacs, showing different
examples of this handy device and explaining how to use it in radio/TV restoration.

In March, I acquired an HP 8660C synthesized
signal generator—a much fancier device than the old EICO generator that I've used for the
last twenty years. Everyone deserves a treat once in a while!

In January, I added an article to show off my new Radio/TV Display Room.
After cluttering our house with collectibles for two decades, I finally created a dedicated display space,
and the results are quite pleasing.

2015

My final restoration project in 2015 was my
Admiral 24A12, a beautiful 1948 TV with a console cabinet
made of Bakelite. Earlier in the fall, my trusty
KLH Model Eight FM radio required some service—a
new power switch and electrolytic capacitors. The operation was successful and my Eight
is back in daily use.

I thought I had finished collecting RCA CTC-11 color TVs, but in March I found a $30 one-owner set
that was just too nice to resist. You can read all about it in my newest
article. I have also been
chipping away at my CTC-4 restoration; that article will be updated when I have some good news to report.

In mid-February I added two new articles. The first describes the restoration of my 1939 GE F-63 tabletop
radio. Moving forward about four decades in technology, I also
repaired my Sony KV-4000, a delightful mini-color TV from 1980.

In early February I added an article about the Philco Mystery Control,
the first wireless radio remote.

Expanding on January's catching-up theme, I restored the electronics on a radio I had
owned for about twenty years, my RCA 8-X-541 Bakelite tabletop,
and updated its article with restoration notes and new photos. I also wrote a new article about
another long-owned item, the Philco Mystery Control,
the first wireless radio remote.

I rang in the New Year by finishing a project that I had delayed for nearly five years—restoring
my RCA 40X-56 "New York World's Fair" radio.

2014

During much of this year, my workshop was packed up during an extensive
remodeling project, but I slowly got back into the swing of things.

My final 2014 restoration article chronicled the revival of my
RCA CTC-4 color television. This project has been
a long time brewing, and the TV needs a little more work, but you can read about the progress to date.
I also added a couple of photos and some retrospective comments to the article about my
Zenith T1816R TV, which I restored seventeen years ago.

In October I restored an interesting Zenith Radio-TV neon sign
and hung it in my new display room. I also added an article about a unique
solar-powered radio visor marketed by
the old Rainier beer company.

In August, rather than sell things at the annual radio club swap meet, I donated
several items to the club, including my
GE S-22-X
and Philips B-5-X-34A radios, a couple of Zenith TransOceanics,
Hoffman 7M112 and
RCA T-100 televisions, and a variety of test instruments.
The club later auctioned the items to support their operations, and I'll be
able to take a little write-off on my taxes for a charitable donation.

During the summer, I purchased a new 21AMP5 picture tube for my
Philco Miss America TV and
installed it, greatly improving the picture.

In March I restored an interesting Hoffman 7M112 TV,
working on our kitchen table for lack of a better space.

2013

In August, at the annual Seattle radio club swap meet, I was there to sell
rather than buy, but I did come home with a
Sprague Model 16 Tel-Ohmike capacitor checker. While moving things
around for a remodeling project, I also came across my
Phono Trix Model 2,
a charming early portable tape recorder from Germany.

In May I attended the annual Early Television Foundation
convention in Hilliard Ohio. I also finished a long-delayed
radio project; can you believe that I started restoring my
GE S-22X tombstone in 1998?

In March I updated our venerable article about the
Li'l 7, a one-tube AM transmitter that
you can use to broadcast programming from a CD player or iPod to your
antique radios. Fellow collector Volker, from Italy, shared photos of his
unique version of the project, built with "old school" techniques
on a wooden breadboard. He also provided the schematic translated into
German and Italian.

February brought an exciting new construction article:
Building a Tube-Powered Theremin, by
guest author Craig Hanson. In this article, Craig describes in detail how
he built a Theremin following the plans originally published in the
July, 1961 issue of
Electronics Illustrated.

2012

In December, 2012, I finished the lengthy restoration of an
Admiral 24C15 console
TV. The project took many hours because the TV was in rough shape
when I got it. I also added a Westinghouse
H-126 "refrigerator" radio to the Bakelites gallery.

In September I revived an interesting wards (Toshiba) SelectaVision
CED video player
that I had found in my Dad's basement, along with a bunch of
SelectaVision movies.

In August I disposed of several items at the Seattle swap meet and came
home with a delightful little Admiral 19A12
tabletop television, which I promptly restored.

In July, 2012, I wrote a new article, First
Steps In Restoration, to cover some additional frequently asked questions.
I also refinished the cabinet on my Philco 49-1240
television, whose electronics I had restored several months earlier.

In June I restored a Philco Predicta TV,
a model H3412L "Siesta" that I had seen in another collection 14 years
ago.

In late April, after years of procrastination, I finished my
Radio Lamp Company of America
set, a 1930s radio housed in a beautiful brass lamp, plus
my Pilot TV-37
television. Yes, that's the TV with the tiny three-inch picture tube.

After a time-out for cabinet refinishing, I finished my
RCA 721TCS television
project in early April. The wait was definitely worth it!

Also in April, in response to popular demand, I added an article describing how to
make a simple
iPod adaptor for the Phono jack of your antique radio.
Simply plug it in, and your vintage radio can play anything from your iPod,
with great audio quality.

I also added brief articles about my
5AXP4
and 8XP4 test picture tubes. These
handy little items speed TV restoration by subbing for the
TV's big CRT when the chassis is on the workbench.

2011

After the 2011/2012 holiday break, I got busy and restored a new television,
the unique 1949 Philco 49-1240
"Consolette." I also acquired a rare early color set,
an RCA TM-10 broadcast studio monitor using the same 15GP22 picture tube
as my RCA CT-100 TV. That
will be a long-term project, but I should be publishing a brief
article with initial photos soon.

Around Thanksgiving, 2011, I finished an article about my new
Clavioline,
an early electronic keyboard instrument. That project inspired me
to update my article about the Hammond Solovox,
a similar 1940s instrument.

Also in November, 2011, I picked up a KLH Model Eight
monophonic FM radio. This is the earlier, tube version of the
KLH Model Twenty One and I have
been seeking one for a long time.

In September, 2011, I restored a 1961 Sony 8-301W,
an early transistor TV that I had bought about a year earlier.

My 2011 summer projects included a rarely-seen 10-inch console television, the 1948
Capehart-Farnsworth 661-P.
Still a work in progress is an earlier 10-inch console,
the RCA 721TCS; watch for
updates to that article after the cabinet is refinished.

A prized addition to the radio gallery is my new 1939 Emerson
"Snow White" Model Q236,
with molded figures of Snow White and the seven dwarfs painted in cheery colors.

I acquired several other radios over the summer as well, including some
Bakelite sets and an exciting Sonora Globe. I hope to finish those
restorations and accompanying articles during the next couple of months.

During March and April, 2011, I updated my
Zenith 12-S-471 article with new photos
and installed a part that's been sitting in my desk drawer for 10 years.
I also added a articles about my new color television
display banners and
HP millammeter.

February 2011 was a busy month, with two new additions to my TV gallery.
The 1958 Philco Miss America console
was a 2011 Valentine's Day gift for my wife. My
RCA CTC-7 color set has been brought
to life, but it needs a few more tweaks.

My last TV project before that was a 1950 DuMont RA-113.
Still waiting for attention (and an article) is a cute Admiral 24C15.

2010

During the 2010/2011 holiday season, I added new articles about test instruments: my RCA
WV-97A Senior VoltOhmyst,
a battery powered Western Electric
D-166852 multimeter, a
White Electrical ohmmeter from London, and an
EICO 950B capacitor tester.

The queen of my collection remains the
color RCA CT-100 Television
from 1954. As the first color set to sell in meaningful numbers,
it holds an interesting place in TV history, so I wrote a companion article
on CT-100 Electronic Design.

I delayed the refinishing work for a long time, but finally got
refurbished cabinets for my
RCA CTC-11, a
color roundie, and the black and white
DuMont RA-103.

Another major radio project was a
Zenith 12-A-58 console,
which some folks call the "Baby Stratosphere."
Another unusual radio is the 1936 Philco 444,
or English "People's set."

Other recent TV projects include my second color roundie,
the RCA CTC-11H, and
an RCA T-100 tabletop.

Don't miss the Literature area,
where I have added Radio Craft articles from
1935 and
1936 and
a 1936 piece on a modified Theremin known as the
Terpsitone. Also new are
several Short Wave Craft issues from 1933-1937,
two 1954 QST magazines, and a unique 1958 issue
of the UK publication Practical Television.